There is an established sentiment in business and society generally that money is not easy to come by. Yet the fact remains that meaningful and beneficial activities require funding. Interested benefactors are prepared to provide money in the form of grants, but then they first need to be persuaded that the activity or organization requesting the money is a valid concern. Grant writing lessons can assist the latter in requesting funding successfully.

Asking for money implies that the requesting entity is not financially sound. This is one possible obstacle to public requests. The second reason for hesitation may be the attitude that one does not simply beg from strangers. Those seeking financial assistance should be aware that charity is not the same as begging. The other issue, namely the public image of their organization, is one that they should also be aware of.

Another issue is related to how persuasive the request itself is. The request is typically seen as serious because it involves money. It isn’t easy to secure the approval of the benefactor. The criteria for approval may be extremely harsh, or the benefactor may start to ask for very confidential data, or other awkward questions. Even perfectly legitimate requests may be declined as being of no use to society.

Writing requests for grant funding is therefore a process that requires proper attention and the necessary sensitivity to relevant issues. People who are not experienced in the composition of such material, or who are ignorant as to how one seeks sponsorship from other entities, may fail in their attempts to secure the money or even the interest of others. The following are a few basic guidelines in compiling grant requests.

Above all, the information contained in paperwork should always be completely true. Even the inadvertent inclusion of false or diluted data can be seen as a deliberate attempt to defraud the recipient (since money is involved). At the same time, the intentional manipulation of information to try to make the request more attractive is illegal, too, and should never be attempted.

Another point is that the style of the request should be acceptable, too. A document which demands the money outright, or which tries to oblige the recipient into providing the funds, is not going to be taken seriously. Some institutions receive many requests for money, on a regular basis. The writing style therefore needs to be as courteous and as simple as possible, merely asking, not demanding.

Lastly, the writing should be linguistically flawless. A request for money that contains spelling mistakes, wrong grammar or poor formatting is probably not going to be taken seriously and may even arouse suspicion. The paperwork should be impeccable, otherwise the recipient cannot be expected to agree to the request.

Many entities rely on sponsorship to maintain their activities. This necessarily entails submitting grant proposals and managing the associated paperwork. Grant writing lessons can equip those responsible for these processes to submit better proposals, with a higher chance of success.

Read more about How Grant Writing Lessons Can Improve Access To Funding.